US World Cup set for summer

The Rugby World Cup could be moved from its traditional autumn slot to the summer after the USA was handed hosting rights to the game’s glittering showpiece for the first time. World Rugby yesterday confirmed the destinations for the next five global tournaments with America the venue for the men’s competition in 2031 and the women’s in 2033. The USA’s bid for the men’s World Cup involves plans to hold games at NFL stadiums meaning the two competitions must not clash. Both the Rugby World Cup and the NFL season traditionally start in September. Asked if that would mean he’d consider a shift on the rugby front, World Rugby chief executive Alan Gilpin said: ‘We would. The US would ideally be slightly earlier (in the year). ‘We need to spend some time thinking about what the challenges are with that. That will involve discussions with professional leagues around the world. ‘We’re not going to do a Qatar (with the football World Cup) and just plonk it in the middle of a lot of other competitions.’ World Rugby hope to generate an eye-watering $1billion in ticket revenue from the USA men’s World Cup — a figure which has proved impossible for previous tournaments to reach. Meanwhile, england will host the women’s World Cup in 2025 and the RFU has set an ambitious target of selling out the 82,000-capacity Twickenham for the final. Gilpin also revealed World Rugby and the sport’s unions have made significant progress on the future of the sport’s calendar.